coun·sel
ˈkau̇n(t)-səl 
1
a
: advice given especially as a result of consultation
He was unwise to reject my counsel.
b
: a policy or plan of action or behavior
2
3
4
a
plural counsel
(1)
: a lawyer engaged in the trial or management of a case in court
(2)
: a lawyer appointed to advise and represent in legal matters an individual client or a corporate and especially a public body
counseled or counselled; counseling or counselling
ˈkau̇n(t)-s(ə-)liŋ
; counsels
; counsels
: advise
… counselled them to avoid rash actions …—
George Orwell
George Orwell
: consult
… I remember Englishmen, like the Colensos, who sat and counseled with us; but above all, I remember Coleridge-Taylor.—W. E. B. Du Bois
W. E. B. Du BoisSynonyms
Examples of counsel in a Sentence
Noun
We seek counsel from the rich and powerful to learn their secret …
—Ken Tucker, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Feb. 2004
God had done a poor job, and Soaphead suspected that he himself could have done better. It was in fact a pity that the Maker had not sought his counsel.
—Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye, (1970) 1994
No matter how much time he is given, counsel would always like more, but the Chief Justice will not grant an extra minute unless the lawyer is responding to a question from the bench.
—Robert H. Bork, The Tempting Of America, 1990
Counsel were to be employed. … And when the matter had been decided by the lawyers, Lord Fawn was to express his regret for having suspected his lady-love!
—Anthony Trollope, The Eustace Diamonds, 1871
You were unwise to reject my counsel.
The student sought counsel from her teacher.
She is serving as counsel for the defendant.
All counsel are expected to obey the rules of the court.
Verb
He balked at authority and, according to Mr. Green, tuned you out if you tried to counsel him.
—David Grann, New Republic, 14 Feb. 2000
She had six children, whom she counseled and with great wisdom and patience.
—Erma Bombeck, The Best of Bombeck, (1965) 1967
I had counselled Catherine to dine upstairs, but as soon as he perceived her vacant seat he sent me to call her.
—Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights, 1847
He counsels people who are trying to quit drinking.
concerned parents counseling about the problem of substance abuse in their community
Ken Tucker, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Feb. 2004
God had done a poor job, and Soaphead suspected that he himself could have done better. It was in fact a pity that the Maker had not sought his counsel.
—Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye, (1970) 1994
No matter how much time he is given, counsel would always like more, but the Chief Justice will not grant an extra minute unless the lawyer is responding to a question from the bench.
—Robert H. Bork, The Tempting Of America, 1990
Counsel were to be employed. … And when the matter had been decided by the lawyers, Lord Fawn was to express his regret for having suspected his lady-love!
—Anthony Trollope, The Eustace Diamonds, 1871
You were unwise to reject my counsel.
The student sought counsel from her teacher.
She is serving as counsel for the defendant.
All counsel are expected to obey the rules of the court.
Verb
He balked at authority and, according to Mr. Green, tuned you out if you tried to counsel him.
—David Grann, New Republic, 14 Feb. 2000
She had six children, whom she counseled and with great wisdom and patience.
—Erma Bombeck, The Best of Bombeck, (1965) 1967
I had counselled Catherine to dine upstairs, but as soon as he perceived her vacant seat he sent me to call her.
—Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights, 1847
He counsels people who are trying to quit drinking.
concerned parents counseling about the problem of substance abuse in their community
Recent Examples on the WebTodd Longwell, Variety, 17 Apr. 2024
For decades, and even right up until the last years of Spitz's life, journalists, prosecutors, and defense attorneys sought his medical counsel and time to interview him.
—Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 17 Apr. 2024
Norman Eisen, a Brookings Institution senior fellow who served as special counsel to the House Judiciary Committee during Trump's first impeachment, agreed with Bragg's election-interference framing of the case.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2024
Seeking to discredit what became a special counsel inquiry, Mr. Trump and his allies floated conspiracy theories that misconduct by intelligence agencies lurked in the origins of the Russia investigation.
—Alan Feuer, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
We Energies' corporate counsel said the company had already been working to improve its services in Glendale but agreed to take on additional projects to settle the city's concerns, according to an August 2023 letter from We Energies proposing to resolve the city's complaint filed in 2022.
—Claudia Levens, Journal Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2024
Jon Niemeyer, Western & Southern Financial Group senior vice president, chief administrative officer and general counsel, Hyde Park.
—The Enquirer, 11 Apr. 2024
Goitein’s thread is worth reading, as is this piece for Bloomberg Law by Phil Kiko, a former House Judiciary Committee general counsel who was one of the architects of Section 702.
—David Meyer, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2024
In a brief order issued Thursday, Cannon rejected Trump's argument that a 1978 recordkeeping law used to manage official White House records during each presidential administration, the Presidential Records Act (PRA), should prevent the special counsel's case from moving forward.
—Robert Legare, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2024
Shoshanna Solomon, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Apr. 2024
But professionals in the field say that outlawing such treatments or even counseling for younger children can produce long-standing psychological problems.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Detroit's right to counsel program In Detroit, CERA is one slice of the funding that pays for legal aid lawyers.
—Detroit Free Press, 6 Apr. 2024
Asking patients about access to firearms and counseling them toward responsible storage could be one part of that.
—Nancy Walecki, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2024
But there are several key commonalities to keep in mind, according to experts who counsel cancer patients and their families.
—Macaela MacKenzie, Glamour, 28 Mar. 2024
Since then, she's continued to counsel her students through the trauma, and their struggles with eating or studying.
—Claudia Levens, Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024
This may involve counseling the manager, providing additional training or support, or taking disciplinary action as necessary.
—Johnny C. Taylor Jr., USA TODAY, 26 Mar. 2024
Police identified at least two other victims who were being counseled by Wyatt.
—Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024
Noun
Approximately a year and a half into his tenure, Gilbert-Lurie was informed that he was being promoted to general counsel for Walt Disney Pictures.
—Todd Longwell, Variety, 17 Apr. 2024
For decades, and even right up until the last years of Spitz's life, journalists, prosecutors, and defense attorneys sought his medical counsel and time to interview him.
—Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 17 Apr. 2024
Norman Eisen, a Brookings Institution senior fellow who served as special counsel to the House Judiciary Committee during Trump's first impeachment, agreed with Bragg's election-interference framing of the case.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2024
Seeking to discredit what became a special counsel inquiry, Mr. Trump and his allies floated conspiracy theories that misconduct by intelligence agencies lurked in the origins of the Russia investigation.
—Alan Feuer, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
We Energies' corporate counsel said the company had already been working to improve its services in Glendale but agreed to take on additional projects to settle the city's concerns, according to an August 2023 letter from We Energies proposing to resolve the city's complaint filed in 2022.
—Claudia Levens, Journal Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2024
Jon Niemeyer, Western & Southern Financial Group senior vice president, chief administrative officer and general counsel, Hyde Park.
—The Enquirer, 11 Apr. 2024
Goitein’s thread is worth reading, as is this piece for Bloomberg Law by Phil Kiko, a former House Judiciary Committee general counsel who was one of the architects of Section 702.
—David Meyer, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2024
In a brief order issued Thursday, Cannon rejected Trump's argument that a 1978 recordkeeping law used to manage official White House records during each presidential administration, the Presidential Records Act (PRA), should prevent the special counsel's case from moving forward.
—Robert Legare, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2024
Verb
Voices counseling Israel to avoid escalation and preserve that coalition have been constant.
—Shoshanna Solomon, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Apr. 2024
But professionals in the field say that outlawing such treatments or even counseling for younger children can produce long-standing psychological problems.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Detroit's right to counsel program In Detroit, CERA is one slice of the funding that pays for legal aid lawyers.
—Detroit Free Press, 6 Apr. 2024
Asking patients about access to firearms and counseling them toward responsible storage could be one part of that.
—Nancy Walecki, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2024
But there are several key commonalities to keep in mind, according to experts who counsel cancer patients and their families.
—Macaela MacKenzie, Glamour, 28 Mar. 2024
Since then, she's continued to counsel her students through the trauma, and their struggles with eating or studying.
—Claudia Levens, Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024
This may involve counseling the manager, providing additional training or support, or taking disciplinary action as necessary.
—Johnny C. Taylor Jr., USA TODAY, 26 Mar. 2024
Police identified at least two other victims who were being counseled by Wyatt.
—Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'counsel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near counsel
Cite this Entry
“Counsel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counsel. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
counsel
1 of 2 noun
coun·sel
ˈkau̇n(t)-səl
1
: advice given
2
: the act of deliberating or consulting
took counsel together
3
plural counsel
: a lawyer who represents a person or group in a court of law
counsel
2 of 2 verb
counseled or counselled; counseling or counselling
-s(ə-)liŋ
1
: to give advice to
counsel a student on a choice of studies
2
: to seek advice : consult
counsel with friends
Medical Definition
counsel
1 of 2 noun
coun·sel
ˈkau̇n(t)-səl
: advice given especially as a result of consultation
counsel
2 of 2 transitive verb
counseled or counselled; counseling or counselling
-s(ə-)liŋ
: to advise especially seriously and formally after consultation
Legal Definition
counsel
1 of 2 noun
coun·sel
ˈkau̇n-səl
plural counsel
: lawyer: as
a
: a lawyer participating in the management or trial of a case in court
…to have the assistance of counsel for his defense—U.S. Constitution amend. VI
U.S. Constitution amend. VIa right to counsel
b
: a lawyer appointed or engaged to advise or represent a client in legal matters (as negotiations or the drafting of documents) compare attorney
Note: A judge who has acted as counsel in a matter (as by advising an investigator) is disqualified from hearing the case.
Etymology
Noun
Old French conseil advice, from Latin consilium discussion, advice, council, from consulere to consult
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